Fortune Heights Snow Polo World Cup 2015 – Day 8
France To Play USA In The Semi-Finals
The undefeated French trio of Patrick Paillol, Clemente Delfosse and Brieuc Rigaux will do battle with the USA in the semi-finals of the Fortune Heights Snow Polo World Cup 2015, following their 8 – 6 defeat of Canada today. In the day’s other quarter-final, the USA qualified by defeating New Zealand 9 – 6. France and the USA will come together on Saturday to fight for the chance to play against either Brazil or Argentina in the grand final on Sunday February 8.
The hospitality tents and pitch-side areas were heaving with polo fans enjoying near spring-like conditions at the Tianjin Goldin Metropolitan Polo Club today. The warm sunshine was making conditions tricky for the ponies and riders, however, the softening snow requiring intermittent maintenance from the ever present ground crews, but it didn’t detract from two thrilling quarter-final contests at the Fortune Heights Snow Polo World Cup 2015.
Mr. Nicholas J.A. Colquhoun-Denvers, President of Federation of International Polo (FIP), got the opening game underway, and it was first blood to France’s Clemente Delfosse with a calmly executed penalty after less than minute of play. Canada responded almost immediately, three-goal Robert Stenzel galloping in a fine solo goal. Last ditch defending by Canada’s Marcelo Abbiatti kept the French forwards at bay, while at the other end, up popped Stenzel once again, scything between the French lines to put Brandon Phillips through for another excellent Canadian field goal. A slip by Patrick Paillol’s pony left the French number one unhorsed with seconds left in the chukka, but both rider and pony emerged unscathed, 2 – 1 the score in favour of Canada.
The French trio attacked en masse after the restart, scoring from the resultant penalty to tie the match at two goals each. Brandon Phillips was unable to reclaim the lead with his penalty, but he made up for it seconds later by setting up teammate Marcelo Abbiatti – a let-off for the French though, as the Canadian number three’s shot rebounded off the post. Another penalty two to Clemente Delfosse put the white shirts of France back in front with just over two minutes left on the clock, which served to ignite the French attack. He followed up with another , and Brieuc Rigaux exploded into action to finish off with one well-worked goal. Then it was France’s turn to hit the post – not once, but twice – the ball popping out of the goalmouth melee, with Canada able to clear it to safety and win a penalty in the process. Robert Stenzel kept his head to roll it in and make the score 5 – 3 to France at the halfway stage of the match.
Another slip early in the third chukka saw a French player unhorsed once again, but play resumed without injury, France galloping on to score their sixth of the game courtesy of Patrick Paillol. Paillol struck again seconds later, the Canadian team struggling to contain the rampant French number one. Brandon Phillips missed a chance to chip away at the French lead when he pushed his penalty three wide, but Canada’s Robert Stenzel broke free once more, running it between the posts to make it 4 – 7 in favour of France. The last word of the chukka went to France, however, Delfosse tapping in another penalty to give the French a four-goal cushion.
The in-form Robert Stenzel got his fourth of the match for Canada early in the fourth chukka, and then he made it five with a penalty two with two minutes left to play. The Canadians prodded and probed as the seconds ticked away, but the French defence held firm, France winning by eight goals to six. Canada can hold their heads high after a much improved display of polo, but their tournament has come to an end.
In the second of the day’s quarterfinals, New Zealand’s Christopher Brooks led the first dash at goal, winning a penalty but failing to convert. Instead it was USA’s Mike Azzaro who broke the deadlock with the chukka’s first goal, before turning defender at the other end. But he was unable to control New Zealand’s Tom Hunt, who scored to tie the game after four minutes. USA nosed back into the lead with a Tommy Biddle Jr penalty soon after, and then a play of sheer class, with Mike Azzaro serving up the ball on a plate for the heavy-hitting Biddle to blast it home and stretch the USA lead. But Tom Hunt closed the gap almost immediately with his second field goal of the game, the score at the end of a tense first chukka, 3 – 2 to the USA.
USA’s Delmer Walton was fastest away after the restart, running the ball between the posts unmolested from the throw-in. New Zealand’s Tom Hunt then broke clear to score at the hotel end, USA claiming the ball hadn’t crossed the line but the umpires ruling in favour of the attacking side to make it four goals each. USA then retook the lead following a Tommy Biddle Jr penalty, and the scores stood at 5 – 4 in favour of the Americans at the halfway point of the match.
The fourth quarter-final of the Fortune Heights Snow Polo World Cup 2015 was shaping into a doggedly close contest as New Zealand tied the scores yet again after just over a minute of the third chukka, Tom Hunt scoring the penalty that came from a Mike Azzaro infringement. Azzaro made amends soon after by muscling through the black-shirted defence to fire a rocket between the posts for the USA. It seemed like Azzaro’s unhorsing earlier in the match had fired up the veteran former ten-goal star, because he rampaged forward to score yet another and nudge his side 7 – 5 into the lead. Successive waves of New Zealand attacks were thwarted by the Americans, and then who should work the counter attack but Mike Azzaro, smashing through the New Zealand ranks once again to score his fourth of the game and make it 8 – 5 to the USA.
New Zealand pulled a goal back a minute and a half into the final chukka thanks yet again to the spellbinding Tom Hunt, but the New Zealand star scuppered a chance to close the scores further with a penalty three miss close to the halfway mark. In the end it was experience that won the day, Mike Azzaro capping a brilliant solo performance with a breakaway goal at the bell, the score at the end of the fourth and final quarter-final, New Zealand six, USA nine.
The snow polo action continues this Saturday, with Brazil playing Argentina and USA playing France for a place in Sunday’s grand final; the losers of both games will play for third place in Sunday’s subsidiary final.